Design by Mohanad Nader
Special Edition
31st May 2007
IPSF Publications
Welcome to this first part of the special edition of the IPSF Newsletter in recognition of World No Tobacco Day on 31st May! Part A Introduction from your IPSF Tobacco Alert Co-ordinator Christiyanti Dewi, Indonesia What a special pleasure for me to become IPSF Tobacco Campaign Coordinator! Let us, pharmacy students around the globe implement innovative activities on World No Tobacco Day 2007! Let’s make the world healthy! First, I want to tell you all, that you are the victims of tobacco consumption, because, if you are not the active smoker so you are the passive smoker, right? Don’t wait until you are sick! Let us hold World No Tobacco Campaigns! Tobacco Facts!! Studies indicate that nonsmokers are also adversely affected by environmental tobacco smoke. There are 4000 chemicals in tobacco with 100 identified poisons and 63 of them are known cause cancer. The most talked about drug in tobacco is nicotine. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor and a nerve toxin, it has been classified as a class I insecticide. Other poisons include: Arsenic, Cyanide, Formaldehyde (used to embalm bodies), Ammonia Bromide (a toilet cleaner). Particularly alarming is the fact that more than 3 million young people under age 18 smoke half a billion cigarettes each year and that more than one-half of them consider themselves dependent upon cigarettes. The decision to use tobacco is nearly always made in the teen years, and about one-half of young people usually continue to use tobacco products as adults. Tobacco Kills!! Tobacco use and smoking are very dangerous addictions which commonly cause a wide variety of diseases, cancer and death. The vast majority of tobacco users and smokers are hooked when they are children. During this time period they are easily influenced by peer pressure and advertising. Once hooked, the majority of tobacco users become hopelessly addicted.
More than 5 million children living today will die prematurely because of a decision they will make as adolescents---the decision to use tobacco and smoke cigarettes. Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in ten people worldwide. Reports state that passive smoking is particularly dangerous in children - increasing the number and severity of asthma attacks and middle ear infections Passive smoke contains over 50 known carcinogens (causing cancer) and causes lung cancer and heart disease in non-smoking adults. Evidence indicates that there is a 25% to 30% increase in the risk of coronary heart disease from exposure to second-hand smoke. Smokers pay twice as much for life insurance and will die an average of over 12 years sooner than nonsmokers The following is a small list of dangers associated with tobacco ! 9 Laryngeal Cancer: Over 90% of laryngeal cancers are caused by smoking. 9 Lung Cancer: Smoking causes 87% of all lung cancer cases. 9 Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, and Stroke: Nicotine, the major drug in tobacco constricts blood vessels, increasing blood pressure and the work of the heart. Constricting blood vessels also decreases blood flow to the body's tissues, resulting in decreased healing. These effects are exacerbated by diseases such as diabetes 9 Chronic Hoarseness and Laryngeal Polyps: Chronic smokers often develop a persistent hoarse voice with edema of the larynx and formation of vocal cord polyps. 9 Smokers have less stamina than non-smokers. They can not run as fast, have less muscular endurance and their immune system is not as strong. Smokers get sicker more often especially with bronchitis and take longer to recover. Non-smokers are steadier and have better night vision Are you a pharmacist? Based on the Code of Practice on Tobacco Control for Health Professional Organisations, IPSF developed IPSF Code of Practice on Tobacco Control to encourage pharmacy students’ associations to take more active roles in promoting a tobacco free world World No Tobacco Day 2007 Theme: Smoke- Free Environment World Health Organization: www.who.int/tobacco Pharmacy students around the world will take to heart the global theme of WNTD and work towards a tobacco free society by starting with ourselves and our colleagues in our local and national associations. This initiative has been implemented in three primary ways: 9 Make a website or discussion forum, like www.iwanttoquitsmoking.com.sg (Singapore) or www.saveus.fullboards.com (Indonesia). This web-based forum can support the campaign by providing lots of innovative advice on how to quit smoking with a fun community. Beside that, pharmacists from many parts of the country can meet together easily and keep in touch to improve the public knowledge about the dangers of tobacco consumption and provide up to date information with this forum. 9 Raise tobacco campaign with aims to contribute to a reduction in the uptake and prevalence of smoking to get free environment, with “Trash Bag Cigarette Exterminator�, healthy drink to distribute, banner, poster, and brochures 9 Hold an assembly, such as with the government to promote the better Tobacco Control as a key of a healthy life and to raise awareness of a new system of graphic health warnings on tobacco product packaging.
So, set up a campaign stall in your university, local shopping centre or community center now…!!! With a great willingness to save those who choose “no”, we can bring new healthy hope to the next generation! "To quit smoking is one of the easiest things in the world, I must have done it over a dozen times." (Mark Twain 183519 10) .
Build Up The Campaign As Best As You Can…. Have a Good Campaign! Christiyanti Dewi IPSF Tobacco Alert Coordinator 2007 Contact Person HIMAFAR UNPAD, Indonesia (hello_cty@yahoo.com) Part B Celebrating World No Tobacco Day 31st May 2007 People are becoming more and more aware of the health issues associated with smoking. Currently, there are an estimated 1.3 billion smokers in the world and about half of this number will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease, if they continue to smoke. What about the rest? When tobacco smoke contaminates the air, especially in enclosed spaces, it is breathed in by everyone, exposing both smokers and non-smokers to its harmful effects. Today, there is clear scientific consensus based on hundreds of studies in adults and children: secondhand tobacco smoke causes serious and fatal diseases, such as heart disease, lung cancer, asthma and others. There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. 100% smoke-free environments are the only proven way to adequately protect the health of all people from the devastating effects of second-hand tobacco smoke The theme chosen for World No Tobacco Day 2007 is:
Join together in helping to create 100% smoke-free workplaces and public places – including your university and pharmacy department! “By making workplaces and public places 100% smoke-free inside we keep the bodies in those places smoke-free inside, too.” World Health Organization Tobacco Free Initiative The World Health Organization (WHO) response to the tobacco epidemic was to establish the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) to focus international attention, resources and action on this global problem. The Tobacco Free Initiative’s objective is to reduce the global burden of disease and death caused by tobacco, thereby protecting present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. The theme of “Smoke-free inside” for World No Tobacco Day 2007 is important because it will impact on both smokers and non-smokers: • • • • • • •
100% smoke-free environments fully protect workers from the serious harmful effects of tobacco smoke Everyone has the right to breathe clean air, free from tobacco smoke Most people in the world are non-smokers and have a right not to be exposed to other people’s smoke Smoking bans are widely supported by both smokers and non-smokers 100% smoke-free environments help prevent people – especially the young – from starting to smoke 100% smoke-free environments provide the many smokers who want to quit with a strong incentive to cut down or stop smoking altogether 100% smoke-free environments are good for business, as families with children, most nonsmokers and even smokers often prefer to go to smoke-free places Visit www.who.int/tobacco.en/ for more information
Role of IPSF members In line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the WHO Health Professionals Code of Practice on Tobacco Control, the IPSF Code of Practice on Tobacco Control and the IPSF Statement of policy on Tobacco Free Initiative for Pharmaceutical Students’ Associations was developed and include encouraging our members to: •
Be role models by not using tobacco and by promoting a tobaccofree culture • Make their own organisations’ premises and events tobacco-free • Include tobacco control in the agenda of all relevant health-related congresses and conferences – at both a national and local level
WATCH OUT!
… for the Joint Statement on Tobacco Control by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF)…coming soon! Non-governmental organizations in official relations with WHO, such as IPSF, are recognised as playing an important role in the fight against tobacco. IPSF is hoping to develop an IPSF Declaration of Commitment on Tobacco Control to quantify the contribution of IPSF members in becoming role models for present and future generations as we work collaboratively with WHO to create a smoke-free world. More information on this proposed Declaration will be available soon through the IPSF e-groups and at the IPSF Congress in August.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR EXAMS! As a number of you have university exams around this time, you may not be able to carry out a tobacco campaign today – on World No Tobacco Day itself - but remember… it will take more than one day to achieve the goal of 100% smoke-free environments, so please do still make a contribution towards the success of this outcome at a more suitable time for you!